At the Port Mafia, Dazai once again made a significant contribution by eliminating a traitor.

He successfully trapped the Sheep King’s long-time spy into a quagmire, securing the precious information left by Ranpo. This led Nakahara to make a long-overdue break with the Sheep organization and join the Port Mafia alone.

Perhaps it was witnessing the changes in the Port Mafia, or perhaps it was due to the numerous favors owed and debts piling up. Nakahara’s impression of the current leader of the Port Mafia gradually changed, and under the influence of Dazai and Hyakki, the last straw finally broke.

Realizing he was not suited to be a leader, Nakahara decided to learn the things he did not understand from Mori.

“I offer all my fervent loyalty to you, Boss.”

Facing Mori’s rare gentle smile, Nakahara kneeled on one knee, pledging his allegiance.

Mori encouraged him, “This information left by Ranpo is highly classified, accessible only to executives. Strive to rise to an executive position. If Dazai reaches that position before you… I cannot guarantee the outcome.”

What a nightmare.

Nakahara could easily imagine what Dazai would do if he got the information first.

Dazai would memorize it and then destroy the documents, waiting for Nakahara to beg him!

Nakahara felt a wave of darkness and murmured, “I understand.”

In the boss’s office, sitting on a single sofa, Mori chuckled, “Though I expected you to come to see me, I must admit I’m still somewhat surprised. I would love to hear from you why you chose the Port Mafia instead of joining the good people who act righteously under the sunlight?”

Nakahara fell silent.

Because being a good person only led to continuous betrayal.

“I… cannot change the past. Rather than being rejected and feared by others, I’d prefer to crush those malintent with gravity.” The people from Leibo Street could never go back to how things were, “I want to see how far an organization that can accommodate Dazai and Hyakki can go. What kind of charm does it have that makes you maintain it even if it means becoming a slave?”

To be able to naturally hit Mori’s heart with every word, like an angel willing to work hard voluntarily, Mori had only encountered Nakahara once in all these years.

Natural types are indeed terrifying.

Mori released his clasped fingers, feeling genuinely delighted.

“Welcome to the Port Mafia, Nakahara.”

At this moment.

Nakahara still wore the blue wristband on his right hand, but his future was no longer tied to the “Sheep.”

He would be a key newcomer for the Port Mafia.

—To motivate Dazai.

No matter how hard he tried, in Mori’s eyes, Dazai was still a bit of a slacker. After finding out that Nakahara was not under his jurisdiction but had gone to the executive Ozaki, Dazai threw a huge tantrum.

“He’s my dog!”

“A dog that should be licking its master’s feet, how can it go to someone else!”

“Hyakki, Mori is super unfair, poaching the person I brought in! How can you still consider him your father-in-law? I forbid you from seeing Elise again. Is her cake that good? I’ve bought you so many crab meat sushi, and you haven’t even taken the initiative to eat one bite during the day!”

A pouting Dazai was more petty than a child.

In the office, Hyakki held a small cake in his hands, looking confusedly at the fiery tantrum.

Why was Dororo’s life flame trembling like seaweed?

Instinctively, Hyakki took another bite of the cake. He had no taste buds, but the illusion granted him some sense of the cake’s sticky texture on his tongue, making him inexplicably fond of soft foods. Most importantly, on the night of Ranpo’s death, he regained his sense of smell, and his newly grown nose was extremely sensitive to scents.

Elise’s method of gaining favorability points +1.

Dazai Osamu snatched the cake away and, without thinking, ate it all, then stuffed the plate into the trash bin.

Hyakki: 【…】

Dazai hugged Hyakki and began to fake cry, “Mori is fickle. We are no longer welcomed. His new favorite is obviously Nakahara, and we’ll be ostracized to death.”

At the door, Nakahara knocked and, finding it unlocked, cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Hey…”

“You’re not welcome here!”

“I’m not here to see you, so it’s none of your business.”

Now that Nakahara and Dazai were in the same organization, Nakahara felt more confident, setting aside the grudge of being manipulated.

“Sticky slug, even if you join the Port Mafia, I’m still your superior!”

On the sofa, Dazai’s embrace around Hyakki’s waist was overly intimate, his upper body leaning on Hyakki’s lap, his petulance unbearable. Nakahara felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it, muttering to himself that if Hyakki couldn’t escape this clingy mackerel, his fate would be even worse than his own.

“Hyakki, from now on, we’ll be able to see each other often.”

Nakahara didn’t want Hyakki to fail to recognize him in the future, so he encouraged himself and said the latter half of his sentence: “Even if I join the Port Mafia, I am still me. I will protect the comrades and organization I believe in.”

【This person is still red and white mixed.】

Hyakki’s inner eye did not perceive his change, quietly observing the anxious Nakahara.

Nakahara felt a sense of relief.

If someone like Dazai Osamu could be accepted by Hyakki, then whether his soul was corrupted or not depended on his inner self, not on these external appearances that limited him…